Hot-water heater



T. WILEY, HOT WATER HEATER. No. 512,138. Patented J 2I 1894.

Z/ QMW CHARLES T.

WVILEY, OF GREEN FIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PATENT @rrrcn.

FREDERICK K. CASWELL, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

HOT-WATER H EATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,138, dated January2, 1894.

Application filed January 28, 1893. Serial No. 459,995- (No model.)

T0 whom it may concern:

- Be it known that 1, CHARLES T. WILEY, of Greenfield, in the county ofFranklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Hot- Water Heaters, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled in the artcan make and use the same.

My invention relates to the class of apparatus that is used for thepurpose of heating buildings by the circulation through pipes andheating coils of a volume of hot water and the object of my invention isto provide such an apparatus with means whereby a proper circulation ofthis heated fluid medium may be obtained.

To this end my invention consists in the details of the several partsmaking up the device as a whole and in the combination of the severalparts as more particularly hereinafter described and pointed out in theclaims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a detail view in vertical sectionof a furnace embodying my invention and also showinga radiator and thepipes of the circulation. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the circulatorremoved from the furnace.

The ordinary form of apparatus for heating buildings for the circulationof hot Water comprises a boiler and one or more heating coils orradiators connected by risers and returns, the circulation of, the waterthrough the system being brought about by the tendency of heated waterto rise and of the colder water to return, but the force due to thisinequality of temperature is so slight that the flow is sluggish at thebest and but slight obstructions are sufficient to check any fiow with aresulting dissatisfaction with the system as awhole. In prior devices asystem of circulation has been devised in which the flow of waterthrough the pipes of the circulation is aided by causing a vacuum to beformed in the circulator and mypurpose is to provide an improvedapparatus relating to this latter class. My within described improvementobviates the difficulty of the circulation and the result is obtained bythe use of an apparatus as shown in the accompanying drawings, Where theletter a denotes a furnace, b a riser, c a radiator or coil and d areturn pipe. Within the furnace is supported a circulator 9 having adiaphragm f arranged horizontally across it and through this diaphragmare openings in which are preferably arranged short tubes f, the upperends of which are provided with puppet or check valves f adapted to openupward and to close against any return movement of the water into thelower part of the circulator. One or more of the risers I) extend fromthe upper part of the circulator to the coils or radiators c that areconnected to the common return d, the lower end of which is providedwith a check valve d. In place of the puppet or check valves beinglocated in the pipes f a check valve may be located in each of therisers b, the pipes f projecting above the diaphragm preventing thewater from returning from the upper chamber to to the lower, but theform above described is preferred on account of the better resultsgained from the use thereof.

The operation of the apparatus when heat is applied to the circulator isas follows: The

system being filled with water in the usual I manner and heat beingapplied to the circulator the generation of steam is caused therein,which by pressure against the under side of the diaphragm and on theupper side of the water contained in the circulator below the diaphragmforces the water into the upper part of the circulator and into therisers, the outflow of the water under pressure in this manner causing areturn flow of colder Water through the return pipe 61 and this inflowof colder water by condensing the steam in the lower part of thecirculator produces a partial vacuum which causes a stronger andcontinued flow of the colder water from the return into the circulatorchamber, this return flow of water promoting the circulation of heatedwater through the pipes and coils of the system connected to thiscirculator. This operation of the circulator in forcing the flow of hotwater outof it into the pipes of the circulation is intermittent anddepends upon the generation of steam within the circulator and, ofcourse, on the degree of heat applied thereto.

This apparatus is automatic in its operation and my invention iscomprised in any hot water heating apparatus in which there is embodiedthe circulator with a diaphragm and openings communicating between theupper and lower chambers with means for permitting a flow outward fromand backward into the lower chamber within which is formed a partialvacuum caused by the return flow of cold water, this vacuum operating asa factor in aiding the forced circulation.

I claim as my invention 1. In a hot water apparatus for heatingbuildings, a circulator provided with a diaphragm separating the vesselinto two chambers located one above the other, a tubular passage betweenthe two chambers, a riser extending from the upper chamber, means forpreventing the flow of water from the riser into the lower chamber ofthe circulator, and a return pipe entering the lower chamber and havingareturn check valve, all substantially as described.

2. In a hot water apparatus for heating buildings a circulator providedwith a diaphragm separating the vessel into two chambers located oneabove the other, a tubular passage between the two chambers, a checkvalve arranged in the communicating passage and opening upward, a riserextending from the upper chamberand a retu' n pipe entering the lowerchamber and ha ing a return check valve, all substantially as described.g 7 7 CHARLES T. WILEY. Witnesses:

O. W. LANFAIR, W. N. SNOW.

